Thursday, February 15, 2007

New policies needed to win in Afghanistan

In an op-ed in today’s Washington Times on the growing issue of opium in Afghanistan, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen argues that a new policy focused on eliminating the production of opium is the only way to defeat the Taliban, as funding for the Taliban’s military equipment as well as the money used to pay their soldiers and bribe government officials comes from the drug trade. Finding alternative livelihoods for those now growing and producing the drug is crucial if the Taliban is to be combated, Ros-Lehtinen says. Other suggestions offered by Ros-Lehtinen include training of Afghan police by Colombian antinarcotics personnel and development of a unified policy for tackling the issue. With the odds of succeeding in Afghanistan dwindling, this may be the only way for the United States to bring stability to the country, she says.